Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I know there's a few other R.E.M. threads, but figured this still deserved it's own one... A very cool clip from Raleigh 1982, with nice displays of both Peter Buck's (then relatively newly acquired) 360/6 JG and Mike Mills' later abandoned 4003 (I believe). For good order it can be mentioned that Bill Berry here still rocks his Rogers kit (with Paiste cymbals I think). On second guitar on at least the first song is of course our fellow forumite Mitch Easter, playing a Tele.

A pretty amazing band (already?) at the time. Remember they had only been together about 2,5 years at the time, and only releases on 7" and one EP. Very tight, and these clips show off how great they actually arranged and played their songs, with (in someone else's words) Mike not playing bass like a bass player, Peter not playing guitar like a guitar player and Bill not playing drums like a drummer... Also listen to the brilliant vocal interplay between Michael, Mike and Bill.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPqZLgJrvN8

The full show is available elsewhere on youtube.

I've loved them forever but, damn that early energy was hard to beat. So different and exciting.

Wore out the grooves of my vinyl back then on those two tunes.

Yes, the young dude on the Tele was either Mitch or a reasonable facsimile

According to my records(I may have the year wrong, it was either 1981 or 2), I met them (all except Bill Berry) for the first time 12 days later at the 40 Watt club in Athens. On Oct 19th, I saw Mitch with Let's Active in Chapel Hill.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1982-Rickenback ... 2ebda738e9

These are rare in this vintage! But if you want to be just like Peter...

Then all you need is a "trucker mama" sticker

Ontario_RIC_fan wrote:http://www.ebay.com/itm/1982-Rickenback ... 2ebda738e9

These are rare in this vintage! But if you want to be just like Peter...

hmmmm that guitar is 10 minutes from me

I am just worried that it may sell cheap... and that likely means a trip to the NJ butcher.

Thank you, David, for digging up this very rare and raw footage of R.E.M. in embryo! Your expertise on all things R.E.M. has taught me many new things, and is one of the reasons I logged in here in the first place.

Thoughts:

- I was just listening to Chronic Town the other day. Man oh man.

- Mitchell, if you're reading this, I'll have to pick your brain on that opening chord. I always played it like a B barre chord with the high strings open. Is that right?

- That 360 "Moonglo" (sic) is really hot. Would be lovely in the stable.

- I'm a lousy drummer, but the drum part on the verses is one groove I can actually hold down. Leftover disco*?


* That'd be a cool name for a band.

Ontario_RIC_fan wrote:I am just worried that it may sell cheap... and that likely means a trip to the NJ butcher.

I have a local friend on it. He's going to try and check it out before the sale ends. If all goes well it'll remain in Mt Kisco.

kennyhowes wrote: Leftover disco*?


* That'd be a cool name for a band.

+1 love it

Folkie wrote:Thank you, David, for digging up this very rare and raw footage of R.E.M. in embryo! Your expertise on all things R.E.M. has taught me many new things, and is one of the reasons I logged in here in the first place.

Thank you for the kind words, Robert. Albeit "only" being a fan since 1992 or so (at age 12...), also being a guitar collector and musician (of sorts) means I find it much more interesting to discuss musical, recording, songwriting and performance aspects of the band's history than Michael Stipe latest fashion adventures or how cute Mike Mills was in the 80's... I truly enjoy the Rickenbacker and general guitar knowledge around here!

As for Bill's drumming during these first years, it is indeed pretty amazing. After LRP it became slightly more "conventional", perhaps to better suit the slightly heavier sound.
Check out the drumming on the opening song from the Raleigh performance: Wolves, Lower
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88PA4N9deBk

Great clip, David. Love their IRS stuff! Wish I'd been of age to see them during that era...the earliest I had a chance to catch them live was the Green tour in '88.

BTW, I'd never paid much attention to Mills's 4001...cool to see that it was early-70's (FWI, neck pickup spacing, etc.). Wonder where it is now?

chronictown wrote:Great clip, David. Love their IRS stuff! Wish I'd been of age to see them during that era...the earliest I had a chance to catch them live was the Green tour in '88.

BTW, I'd never paid much attention to Mills's 4001...cool to see that it was early-70's (FWI, neck pickup spacing, etc.). Wonder where it is now?

Ah, it's a 4001? I need to update my Rick bass knowledge, that's for sure.
The very first pictures, from 1980 or soo, show him playing a plexi Ampeg. Then the Rick appears somewhere around 1981. It is abandoned for a Guild Pilot sometime in 1985 or even late 1984. The he switches to a black Precision around the "Work" tour I think, in 1987. He then moves to his blonde Precision in 1994 and uses that up until the end in 2008. This if course in terms of main stage bass, studio wise his choices have ben more varied.

Here's a fun 1985 clip where he breaks the output jack of his Guild Pilot when jumping high on the last note of Can't Get There From here, and has to switch to the/a Rick (with black pickguard from what it looks like). Peter and Michael duly cover the dead space during the switch...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... Eg#t=2443s

Good stuff. Do we know the serial number of Peter's original 360-6? I mean, I'm sure we do. Can anyone post it?

Ontario_RIC_fan wrote:I am just worried that it may sell cheap... and that likely means a trip to the NJ butcher.

That 81 JG 360 went for $1275... Did anyone here score it?

I saw REM in about August of `84 at the Hollywood Palladium; Michael Stipe had a broken leg and had to sing from a bar stool. I think my friends and I left after seven songs.